A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was sent to the Washington County Election Department regarding pre-election voting machine test reports on October 30, 2024. The request was made by IBX News, a media organization committed to providing comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs.
In the request, we at IBX News asked for access to public records under the North Carolina Public Records Law, G.S. §132-1. Specifically, we requested for the pre-election test reports of election voting machines in PDF format with certain fields. These fields include the test date, machine manufacture, machine model number, and machine status indicating whether it passed or failed.
As part of our commitment to transparency and accountability in public institutions, we believe that access to these records is crucial. This information will help us provide comprehensive coverage on the readiness and reliability of voting machines ahead of elections.
In line with our role as a media organization disseminating information to the public, we have also requested for a fee waiver as a media professional.
We await a favorable response from the Washington County Election Department as we continue our work in promoting transparency and accountability in local government affairs.
